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2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. OBRIEN.

(No Model.)

VELOGIPBDE.

No. 372,428. Patented Nov. 1, 1887.v

N. Firms. Pholuuwgmpw. wnsningmn. D. c

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. T. OBRIEN.

VBLOGIPEDB.

No. 372,428. Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

Unirse STATES PATENT Ormes.p

THOMAS OBRIEN, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,428l dated November 1, 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS OBRIEN, of the city and State of New York, have invented 'an Improvement in Bicycles, of which the fola standard risingfrom the main frame in front of the driving-wheel, and for the other rider upon standards at the rear of the machine; and the driving mechanism consists ofpendeut treadles and links connecting to cranks upon chain wheels, having` chains that pass to wheels upon the shaft of the main driving-wheel. The frame is braced to a yoke that passes over the driving-wheel, an'd to which the mudgnards are connected.

In some features my present invention is similar to thatshown in my Patent No. 347,503, the present device, however, being a bicycle, and not a trieyele.

In my application No. 228,326, filed February 21, 1887, the frame receives the two driving-wheels of a tricycle, and there are two seats upon the frame. I do not, therefore, herein claim the two seats, one before the other, where the seats are between the two wheels.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the bicycle. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a separate plan view of thebasket for holding luggage. Fig. 4 is a front view thereof.

The main wheel A and the front or steering wheel, B, are of any ordinary construction.

O represents the fork of the steering-wheel, and 2 the mud-guard for the same.

3 are the side braces for holding the mudguard, and 4 is the shaft or pivot for the forks and steering-wheel.

The main frame of the machine is preferably tubular; the side pieces, 5, of the said frame converge toward the front and back, and 6 is a half-circle connection at the back end, and 7 is the tubular socket,to which the side pieces, 5, converge, and to which they are connected, and through thissocket the pivot-shaftepasses. This frame may be made of one pipe bent up to shape, or it may be made of separate pieces of pipe coupled or brazed together.

The yoke 8 is attached at its lower ends to the side pieces, 5, of the frame, and it passes up over the main wheel A, and apin, 70, pro jecting from this yoke, receives a soeket,9,into which a staff, 10, may be inserted carrying an umbrella or a flag, and there are braces 11 eX- tending diagonally between the yoke S and the side pieces, 5, of the frame, to stiffeu and strengthen said frame, and the muduards 12 are attached at their upper ends to t 1e socket 9 and at the lower ends to the frame at the half-circle 6 and a cross-piece, 13, respectively.

The axle 14 of the wheel A is in bearings upon the under sides of the frame 5, and there are chain-wheels D upon the outer end of said axle, and endless chains 15 to the chainwheels E, that are upon separate gudgeons or shafts projecting from brackets 16, that er;- t-end down below the side pieces, 5, of the frame, and to these chaiu-wheelsE the cranks 17 are attached, and from the crank-pin of each crank 17 there is a second crank, 18, eX- tending so as to form compound cranks for the respective connecting-rods 2O and 21.

Upon the cross-piece 13 is a vertical standard, F, carrying the seat G, and said standard is preferably made as a column eontaining a rod, 22, at the upper end of which the seat is fastened, so that the seat can be raised or lowered and clamped by the screw 23. In Fig. 2 the metal frame of the seat G only is shown. The same, however, is to be covered with leather or any othersuitablematerial.

The pendent links 25 26 hang from the front edge of the seatframe G, and they are each preferably made of a tube with a rod inside it, so as to vary the length to suit the rider, and the parts are clamped,when adjusted, by the screws 27. The foot-pieees or treadles H are applied at the pivots 29, that unite the lower ends of the respective links 25 26 and connecting-rods 20.

It will now be understood that the rider, seated upon the seat G, propels the vehicle by the action of the feet upon the treadles H, the lower limbs of the leg swinging forward and backward at the knee.

There is a second seat, K, upon standards IOO L, that are tubular, and the seat can be raised or lowered and clamped similar to the seat G, and there are pendent links and treadles .N upon the pivots 31, that unite the links 30 to the connecting-rods 21, and the rider upon the seat K aids in propelling the bicycle by moving the legs in a similar man- 4 ner to the rider on the seat G; and it will be observed, upon reference to Figs. 1 and 2, that the compound cranks will not have any dead-center, because the crank-pins for the connectingrods 2O pass the horizontal center plane after the crank to which thceonnectingrods 21 are attached, thus equalizing the action of the treadles.

Upon the upper end of the pivot-shaft 4 is a fork with lateral projecting tubes 35,'through which passes a rod, 36, with handles 37 at the ends. By these the rider upon the seat G can turn the pivot-shaft 4 and steer the bicycle, and the rod 36 can be partially revolved in the tubes 35, and in so doing the brake is applied, as next described.

The'brakeQ is upon the end of a lever, 38, pivoted at 39, and to the upper end of the lever 38 afbent lever,O, is connected. The pivot 4() of this bent lever O is supported by a fork,

V41, that extends out from the standard F, and

the parts are strengthened by the braces 42, that pass forward to the tubular socket 7. The arm 43 is fastened firmly to the rod 36, between the inner ends of the tubes 35, and there is a link, 44, extending from the arm 43 to the bent lever O, and the joints at the ends of this link are preferably bali'joints to allow the pivotshaft 4 to be turned in steering the bi cycle without interfering with the brake, as the said brakeis applied by swinging the handles 37 upwardly, turning the rod 36, and moving the links and lever-connections to the brake. The weight of the handles 37 causes them to drop, when not in operation, and release the brake.

A step, 47, is applied at the back end to aid in mounting to the seat K, and it is convenient to have a second step, 75, at the front part of the machine. Y

Thesteadying-wheels 49 are at thelower ends of the swinging bars 50, and these are pivoted at their upper ends to the side pieces, 5, of the frame, and there are slides 5l around the bars 50, and links 52 to shortshafts 53 in bearings upon the under sides of the frame 5, and crank-arms 54 and links 55 to the arm 56 upon a shaft, 57, that is provided with handles 58 at its ends, and said shaft is in bearings 59 upon the frame or arm 60, that extends ont from the seat-fratrie K. By turning the handles 5S and shaft 57`the slides 51 will be raised or lowered upon the swinging bars 50, and the links 52 will swing the bars 50 and steadyingwheels 49 forward until the wheels rest upon the ground and hold the bicycle up vertically while the rider or riders mount into the seats, or when moved in the opposite direction the steadying-wheels are raised, as

shown in Fig. 1.

In order to hold the parts in position, it is preferable to extend the arm 56 behind the shaft 57, and provide aswinging link, 62,with a clamp -screw, 63, so that the link may be brought into action to clamp the arm 56 and hold the same when the wheels 49 are in contact with the ground, or when they are raised up from the same. v

I provide a basket, I), preferably of wirework, with a central opening in the bottom,

so that the basket may be set over the socket 9, and the sides of this basket should extend downwardly and rest upon the pins 65, that project from the braces 11; and it is preferable to arch the bottom of the basket, as seen in Fig. 5, so that it passes over or rests upon the mnd -guards 12. This basket is adapted to carry bundles or baggage, and when not required it is easily lifted off.

It is preferable to make the mud-guards 12 of sheet metal, and trough-shaped sectionally, and to attach them by screw-bolts at theirlower ends to the frame and at their upper ends to the sides of the tubular socket 9, and this tubular socket 9 sets over a pin, 70, that projects at the upper end ofthe yoke 8,so that by removing the bolts at the lower ends of the mud-guards the socket 9 and the mud-guards can be lifted off 95 forming the forward part of said frame, bearings for the axle of the main wheel, connected to the tubular supporting-frame, the vertical yoke passing from the sides of the frame up over the main wheel, and the diagonal side braces acting with the yoke to stiffen the horizontal frame, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a bicycle, with the main driving-wheel and front steering-wheelA and its fork and pivotal shaft, of a tubular supporting-frame extending horizontally at the sides and passing around the back of the main wheel and connected at the front thereof, the converging side pieces, 5, and socket 7, forming the forward part of said frame, bearings for the axle of the main wheel, connected to the tubular supporting-frame, the vertical yoke passing from the sides ofthe frame up over the main wheel, and the diagonal side braces acting with theyoke to stiften the hori-l zontal frame, and vertical tubular columns upon said frame at the front and rear of the main wheel, and the seat-rods and seats supported by said columns, substantially as set forth. y n

3. 'Ihe combination, in a bicycle, with the main driving-wheel and front steering-wheel and its fork and pivotal shaft, of a tubular supporting-frame extending horizontally at` the sides and passing around the back of the main Wheel and connected at the front thereof, the converging side pieces, 5, and socket 7, forming the forward part of said frame, bearings for the axle of the main wheel, connected to the tubular supporting-frame, the vertical yoke passing from the sides of the frame up over the main Wheel, and the diagonal side braces acting with the yoke to stiften the horizontal frame, and vertical tubular columns upon said frame at the i'ront and rear of the main Wheel, and the seat-rods and seats su pported by said columns, and pendent links from the seat-frames, treadles, and cranks, and connecting-rods for driving' the main wheel, substantially as set forth.

et. The combination, in a bicycle, of main and steering wheels, a frame passing around the main wheel and connecting the two wheels, a vertical column and seat in front of the main Wheel, two vertical columns upon the rear part of the frame at each side of the main Wheel, and a seat-frame upon said columns, pendent links from the respective seat-frames, treadles, conneeting-rods, cranks, ehain-whcels, and

chains, by which the main axle and Wheel are driven, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a bicycle, with the side frames and steadying-wheels 49, of the swinging bars 50, links 52, and crankarms 54, pivoted to the side frames, the slides l, conneeting the bars 50 and links 52, the shaft 57, and handles 58, and the links 55 and arms 5G, connecting the crank-arms and handle-bar or shaft 57, respectively, whereby the swinging movement of the handles operates the steadying-wheels, substantially as specified.

G. The main wheel A, brake Q, steering- Wheel B, and its fork and pivot-sl1at`t, in conibination with the lever 38, bent lever o, the link 44, arm 43, and the handle-bar, tube, and handles, whereby the movements ot' the handles aetnate the brake, substantially as-speeified.

Signed by me this th day of February,

THOMAS OBRIEN. W'itnesses:

Guo. T. PINCKNEY, WILLIAM G. MOTT. 

